Former AVS Music Teacher Releases New Children’s Album Inspired by the Moodish Players 🎶💙

We’re excited to share some wonderful news from a beloved former member of our AVS community! Alek Barkats, who taught music at the Lower School campus for several years, has released a new children’s album—Extraordinarily Blue—a whimsical collection inspired by none other than the Moodish Players and the Mood Meter that have long been a part of AVS’s Friday Community Meetings.

During his time at Alta Vista, Alek helped bring the Orff style of music education to our classrooms, directed countless student performances, and brought creativity and joy to every gathering. His contributions, both on stage and behind the scenes, made music come alive for so many of our students.

After moving to Philadelphia three years ago, Alek reconnected with his friend Howe, and together they began crafting songs from afar—an effort that started during the pandemic and took five years to complete. The result is a collection of quirky folk songs about “blueish” feelings and blueish things, written for children ages 4–9 (and for adults who are young at heart).

You can listen to Extraordinarily Blue on Bandcamp or stream it here.

Alek shared that the spirit of AVS, the Moodish Players, and the joyful creativity of our community deeply influenced this project. He also mentioned that he hopes to visit AVS this spring to share some of the songs live with our students and families—a homecoming we’re very much looking forward to!

💙 Congratulations, Alek! We’re so proud to see how your AVS roots continue to inspire your music and the next generation of young listeners.